interfere between the crew and the captain before they were three days
at sea; and by his stern, calm will he succeeded in preventing open
mutiny by the crew. The fact was, the most desperate part of the
foremast hands knew very well that the money sent out to purchase
slaves, was still on board in good golden doubloons, and they were
secretly scheming to take the schooner, kill the officers and
appropriate the gold.

Charles Bramble was accustomed to deal with such spirits; he was
well-armed at all hours, and prepared for the very trouble which was to
come, inasmuch as he had anticipated it. There were two mates and the
captain, beside himself, who might be relied upon to stand by the vessel
and the owners' rights, but they had fearful odds against them. There
was also a lad who had gone out in the "Sea Witch" as cabin boy, whom
Charles Bramble was now bringing back with him to his family in Cuba,
the boy having escaped the massacre which occurred when the "Sea Witch"
was burned, and who had been living at Leonardo's factory. On him also
he felt he could rely. The boy soon discovered the mutiny that was
hatching, and told the captain secretly that it would occur at the
moment land was announced from the mast-head on making the islands of
the West Indies.

This was all the information necessary for Charles Bramble, to whom the
captain of the schooner gave up all control, to prepare for the
emergency. He completely armed the four parties on whom he could rely,
and bade them wait for orders from him, but when he gave those orders to
act instantly and without pausing for further consideration. The crew
were somewhat puzzled to see their chief officer give up even the
sailing of the vessel to him who had come on board as a passenger, but
they could not but also perceive that he who acted as the captain now,